Polyester Toner Modulus Control for Fixation and Anti-Offset
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current toner technologies face challenges in achieving excellent low-temperature fixability, high-temperature anti-offset property, and heat-resistant storage while maintaining good color reproducibility, particularly due to issues with particle size distribution, wax distribution, and resin properties.
Innovation Solution
A toner formulation incorporating a binder resin with specific storage and loss moduli values, comprising an amorphous polyester resin A, an amorphous polyester resin B, and a crystalline polyester resin C, which provides a balanced modulus profile to ensure low-temperature fixability, high-temperature anti-offset, and heat-resistant storage, along with improved color reproducibility.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of manufacture
If a kneading/grinding method is used to produce toners, then the production process is simple, but the particle diameter cannot be reduced and the particle size distribution is broad, resulting in unsatisfactory output image quality and high fixation energy
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the fundamental production parameter from mechanical kneading/grinding to polymerization chemistry. By controlling polymerization conditions (monomer selection, catalyst, temperature, time), the invention achieves narrow particle size distribution and reduced particle diameter while maintaining manufacturability through a systematic chemical process.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces the mechanical kneading/grinding system with a chemical polymerization system. Instead of mechanically breaking down particles, the invention builds particles through controlled chemical reactions, achieving better particle size control and distribution without the limitations of mechanical processing.
2Temperature
If wax is added as a releasing agent to improve fixability, then low-temperature fixability is improved, but the toner breaks at the wax interface during grinding, causing excessive wax on the surface and deposition on carriers and photoconductors
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the wax component from the toner formulation entirely, replacing it with a polymerization-based releasing mechanism. The polymerized toner particles inherently possess release properties through their chemical structure and surface characteristics, eliminating the need for separate wax additives and the associated problems of interface breakdown and surface deposition.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent uses composite polymer structures formed through polymerization of multiple monomers to create toner particles with integrated releasing properties. The composite polymer material provides both the necessary fixability and inherent release characteristics without requiring separate wax components, avoiding the interface breakdown problem.
3Temperature
If crystalline polyester resin is used to achieve low-temperature fixability, then the resin melts earlier than amorphous polyester resin, but the amorphous polyester resin remains unmelted and fixation does not occur until both are melted, failing to meet high-level low-temperature fixability requirements
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the resin system from a dual-phase crystalline/amorphous polyester mixture to a polymerized resin system with controlled glass transition temperature. By adjusting the polymerization parameters and monomer composition, the invention achieves a resin that melts or softens at the desired low temperature without the problematic two-stage melting behavior of crystalline/amorphous mixtures, ensuring reliable fixation performance.
4Use of energy by moving object
If power consumption in toner fixation is reduced for energy saving, then low-temperature fixability is improved, but high-temperature anti-offset property and heat-resistant storage property may be compromised
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the resin's thermal properties through polymerization to achieve a specific glass transition temperature range. This allows the toner to fix at lower temperatures (reducing energy consumption) while maintaining adequate storage stability. The polymerized resin structure provides controlled thermal behavior that decouples fixation temperature from storage temperature requirements, enabling low-energy fixation without compromising heat-resistant storage property.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The toner achieves excellent low-temperature fixability, high-temperature anti-offset property, and heat-resistant storage, while maintaining good color reproducibility by optimizing the resin composition and modulus values, addressing the limitations of previous toner technologies.
Implementation Method 1
A toner formulation incorporating a binder resin with specific storage and loss moduli values, comprising an amorphous polyester resin A, an amorphous polyester resin B, and a crystalline polyester resin C, which provides a balanced modulus profile
Implementation Method 2
the crystalline polyester resin is melted earlier than the amorphous polyester resin and, thus, low-temperature fixation can be realized
Data Source
AI summary
A toner, including: a binder resin; and a colorant, wherein the toner has a storage modulus of 1.0 x 107 Pa or more at 50°C, a loss modulus of 8.0 x 104 Pa to 2.0 x 105 Pa at 80°C, and a loss modulus of 2.0 x 102 Pa to 1.0 x 103 Pa at 160°C.